Enda Kenny faced a furious backlash yesterday to expected hikes in the Universal Social Charge for pensioners and medical card holders.

Hundreds of thousands of people are to be hit with an increase in the tax from the start of next year.

And it was warned the move could “cause untold hardship”, pushing some older people over the edge.

Currently people earning more than €16,000 a year pay 7% in USC while those who have a medical card pay 4% if their annual income is less than €60,000.

This is now set to come to an end as the previous Fianna Fail government had written into the USC legislation that the 4% rate would stop from January 1, 2015.

Those affected will then have to pay the standard 7% rate, which could potentially cost families hundreds of euro a year. Medical card holders over 70 will still pay the 4% rate.

Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said the planned increase shows the Government is “clearly out of touch with the people”.

He added: “People will not be in a position to pay. They [the Government] are in office, they have the power to remove this.”

Anti-Austerity Alliance candidate in the upcoming Dublin West by-election, Ruth Coppinger, said: “On top of the property tax, water tax and other impositions, this is another Fine Gael [and] Labour assault on living standards of low and middle-income workers which must be resisted and repelled.”

Age Action Ireland added the hike would “cause untold hardship among a section of society which is already struggling to make ends meet”.

Spokesman Eamon Timmins said: “Across Ireland in recent months we heard time and again from older people who are being forced to choose between food, fuel and medications.

“Another hike in the USC would push some older people over the edge.”

A Fine Gael spokeswoman confirmed the charge is “set to go live on January 1” but added the introduction of the hike is “not a definite” and it would be reviewed ahead of the Budget.